Transverse and linearly reinforced web and method of manufacture



Dec. 19, 1961 E. JACOBSO 3,013,921

TRANSVERSE AND LINEARLY R I FORCED WEB AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE Filed June 21, 1956 V, INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 19, 1961 3,913,921 TRANSVERSE AND LINEARLY REHNFGRCED WEB AND MIETHGD F MANUFACTURE Eugene Jacobson, lllnglewood, N..l., assignor, by mesne assignments, to 51m Chemical Corporation, New York,

N.Y., a corporation of New Yorlr Filed June 21, 1956, Ser. No. 592,897 2 Claims. (Cl. 156-4191) This invention relates to the manufacture of a reinforced fabric film, web, or the like in which the reinforcing is accomplished through unwoven filaments that are imbedded. in the film or web, some of the filaments extending transverse to the length of the web and some of the filaments extending longitudinally of the length of the web.

While my invention is particularly related to the end product I have outlined above, there are certain subco-moinations to be disclosed by me that are of extreme commercial value in themselves, and while some of the claims are directed to the final product and its manufacture, a number of the claims are directed to intermediate products resulting from the practising of my invention.

Those skilled in the art fully appreciate that the manufacture of a film or web of the type I have outlined presents many difficulties and these difiiculties have been discussed in numerous patents of the prior art by patentees who have attempted to solve the very difficult problems involved.

It is quite simple indeed to apply reinforcing filaments longitudinally of a film or web, particularly where the film or web is of a thermoplastic nature. However, so far as I know, no one has ever successfully applied transverse fibers to a web or film of the class described. To appreciate the problem involved, it i necessary to understand that if the film or web is to be 6 in width, and if there are to be a minimum of 40 transverse threads per inch, the carrier moving the cross threads or filaments in position must move at the rate of 240' for each longitudinal inch of travel of a film or web that is being reinforced. This means that for each yard of travel, the movement will be 240x36 or 8640'. Since it is customary to reinforce material of the class described moving the material at the rate of 20 yards or 60 feet per minute, it will be appreciated that the speed of travel of the cross thread or cross filament positioning means must be at the rate of 8640X60 per minute. Such speeds are, of course, unthinkable, and for this reason alone, there being of course many other reasons, the problem of placing cross filaments into reinforcing relation to a film has remained unsolved for many years.

As one means of solution it has been proposed that a series of reinforcing threads be rotated bodily about a longitudinally travelling film, but as has already been indicated, it is simply impossible to rotate the parts at a speed necessary to give economical manufacture.

It has also been proposed to carry an entire group of cross reinforcing filaments into position relatively to a longitudinally moving web or film and to deposit this group of filaments as a group, following up the procedure with another group. However, this also has proven unsatisfactory and extremely slow, and so far as I know, no

I successful machine has ever been developed.

versely positioned reinforcing filaments. Some inventors of the prior art have even gone to the extent of contributing machines that would do this work automati cally, but it is obvious that this repeated securing of independent sections in position is fraught with many difiiculties, is slow, tedious, and expensive.

Through my invention I contribute to the art a web or film, preferably made of thermoplastic material, and formed through a continuous process so as to embody therein longitudinal and transverse reinforcing threads, filaments or the like. This I accomplish while always utilizing filaments or threads applied longitudinally to reinforce the film. In essence my invention comprises first the utilization of a web, preferably formed of thermoplastic material in which are imbedded a series of parallel longitudinally positioned reinforcing filaments. This web is then moved from its reel and wound or wrapped on a reel, cylinder, or the like positioned preferably at 45 to the longitudinal axis of movement of the film. As the film is thus applied to the reel or cylinder, which is preferably for-med of a series of individual rods, the adjacent edges of the helically wound film are heat sealed to one another and become bonded so that the result is a long tube of material in which the reinforcing threads are helically positioned at an angle of 45 to the length of the tube. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that means other than heat sealing may be effective for other products or materials. The tubular material thus formed has many uses, as for example, the packaging of long cylindrical packages, such as rolled rugs and the like, since it may be cut into lengths and pulled into position relatively to the material being packaged. Thus, while What I have here described is merely an intermediate product required for the practice of my invention, it is itself of considerable commercial value since for the first time there is yielded a tubular material of thermoplastic character reinforced helically.

In practicing my invention, 1 take the tubular material thus formed and apply it to a turret reel on which it is wound as a fiat tube-like or bag material. This tube-like material is thereafter unwound and cut in helical fashion, preferably perpendicularly tothe helical reinforcing filaments. When this is done in a particular position, there results a longitudinal web of the same width as the original longitudinal web, but with the reinforcing thread now transversely positioned. Of course, the angles may be varied for other purposes. It is clear that by the simple expedient of first forming a cylindrical or tubular material in which the reinforcing threads are helically positioned, I am able through a cutting of this tubular material in a different helical direction to produce a longitudinal web having trans-verse reinforcing filaments.

Those skilled in the fabric art will, of course, appreciate that my invention departs completely from earlier basic concepts since in the first place the cylindrical material is formed by helical winding. In the second place, the cutting thereafter of the cylindrical material is helical and at right angles to the helical winding of the cylindrical material. This yields the transversely reinforced web or film that is necessary for the purposes of my invention. This transversely reinforced film is, of course, a separate ,further contribution in itself.

For producing the final material I require, I now take the strip of transversely reinforced material, which will of course be wound on very large rollers of great lengths, and bond it to a longitudinal web or film of like material but in which the like reinforcing filaments are positioned longitudinally on the film. The result is, of course, a final material that is reinforced both longitudinally and transversely but in which the reinforcing threads or filaments have been applied always linearly of the movement of the film being reinforced. Therefore, the procedures of my invention are capable of being accomplished at high speed to yield a resulting product at that very low price that is necessary in the art in which I am laboring.

I have thus Outlined rather broadly the more important features of my invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that my contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of my invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception on which my disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures for carrying out the several purposes of my invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions as do not depart from the spirit and scope of my invention, in order to prevent the appropriation of my invention by those skilled in the art.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the cutting of the tubular material to form a band or web in which the reinforcing threads are positioned transversely of the length of the web. FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a short length of a web of longitudinally reinforced material used by me as the original source of the final material to be developed by my invention. FIGURE 3 is a section taken along line 33 of FIGURE 2. FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a short length of material that is developed through the concept of my invention and in which reinforcing threads are positioned in a web in transverse relation to the length of the web. FIGURE 5 is a section taken along line 55 of FIGURE 4. FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the forming of a tubular material through the use of a web in which the threads are placed longitudinally as in FIGURE 2. FIGURE 7 is an isoetric view of a length of the tubular material produced through the use of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 6. FIGURE 8 shows diagrammatically the bonding of two webs of material such as those shown in FIGURES 2 and 4. FIGURE 9 is a plan view, partially in section, showing the final bonded material produced by my invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, FIGURE 2 illustrates the material used by me to form the final web of FIGURE 9. In this material, which may preferably be any suitable film or web of thermoplastic nature, reinforceing threads have been placed in longitudinal relation to the film. As was indicated earlier in this application, this type of film is exceedingly inexpensive to manufacture because the threads are laid longitudinally in reinforcing relation to the film in any one of the standard procedures understood by those who are skilled in the art. Of course, the basic concept of my invention may be used in connection with other materials as will be apparent.

In FIGURE 6, the web of material shown in FIGURE 2, and designated by reference numeral 10, is carried by a supply reel 11 that is rotatable on the axis of a shaft 12 relatively to a carrier 13. Carrier 13 rotates on an axis coincidental with the axis of a cylindrical member 14, the axis of rotation of the carrier being at 45 to the axis of rotation of the reel 11. Carrier 13 is rotated about the cylindrial member 14 through operation of a pinion 15 engaging gear teeth 16 of the carrier 13. As the carrier 13 rotates, the Web is unwound from the reel 11 on to the cylindrical member 14, forming on the cylindrical member a helical winding. A heated roller 17 is positioned to contact the juxtaposed edges of the web 10 so as to heat seal or bond the successive convolutions of the web and to form the tubular material T shown in FIGURE 7.

This tubular material is preferably pulled endwise off the cylindrical body 14 as fast as it is. generated, and is wrapped about a reel 18. We now have on the reel 18 a cylindrical material in which reinforcing threads are positioned helically as is well shown in FIGURE 7. While, for the final purposes of my invention, the particular product just discussed is a means to an end, there is actually a tremendous need for this product in many packaging fields. Due to the fact that the reinforcing threads are placed helically, the material may be stretched endwise so as to decrease readily the diameter of the tube, thereby making it possible to use the tubular material for the packaging of rugs or the like. As part of my invention, I shall claim the material resulting from that portion of my invention so far described.

For the further purposes of my invention, the reel 18 is now applied as shown in FIGURE 1 in a position in which the tubular web may be taken from the reel 18 and applied to a cylindrical body B through movement of the tubular material in the direction of the arrow shown in FIGURE 1. A take-up reel 21 is mounted for rotation on an axis of 45 to the axis of the cylindrical member 19. Reel 21 is rotated through a suitable friction clutch by suitable gearing 22. A cutting knife in the form of a rotating cutting disk is designated by reference number 23 and is positioned so as to cut the tubular web at an angle of to the angle of the helically po itioned reinforcing threads. It will now be obvious that as the reel 21 is rotated it will wind upon itself a web of material that, through the placing of the knife 23, will be exactly the same in width as the original web it). Moreover, because of the position of the cutter 23 and the original helical positioning of the threads in the tubular material, the reinforcing threads in the resulting web 25 will be at right angles to the length of the web, or transversely rather than longitudinally.

The resulting material is shown in FIGURES 4 and 5. It will be quite clear that the material of FIGURES 4 and 5 is obtained very readily and rapidly through the continuous forming of the tubular material in FIGURE 6 and the continuous cutting thereof in FIGURE 1. Those skilled in the art will naturally appreciate that many mechanical forms of apparatus may be readily developed for forming the tubular material with the reinforcing threads helically positioned, and for thereafter cutting the tubular material so that the reinforcing threads will be transversely rather than longitudinally positioned. Those skilled in the art will appreciate also that the web resulting from the use of my inventive concept is much more cheaply and readily formed than those webs made through the utilization of any of the prior art processes that I have discussed above.

In FIGURE 8 I show a web of the original material ll) of FIGURE 2 bonded to a web of material 25. This may be carried on through any of the well-known procedures of the prior art but preferably by bonding through the use of heated pressure rollers 26 where the materials are thermoplastic. When other materials are used, it may be necessary to employ an adhesive or the like. It is obvious that the resulting material, designated by reference letter R in FIGURE 9 contains therein reinforcing threads that are longitudinal and also transverse relatively to the completed web. I believe that those skilled in the art will now appreciate the very considerable ad- Vance that has been made in the particular art and will understand fully the contribution herein presented.

I claim:

1. The process of forming a continuous length of film in which there are both longitudinal and transverse reinforcing threads, that comprises helically winding a fiat band of supply film reinforced by longitudinal threads lying imbedded therein parallel to the length of said supply film, said winding being arranged so that the edges of the helical convolutions are juxtaposed, bonding the said edges to form a tubular web in which the reinforcing threads will be helically positioned, slitting the resulting tubular web helically with the slitting taking place at right angles to the reinforcing threads at a spacing resulting in the forming of a continuous band of film of the same width as said supply film and in which the reinforcing threads will lie at right angles to the length of the band, and bonding to the said transversely reinforced band a second supply band of such as was used in forming said transversely reinforced band.

2. The process of forming from a continuous length of supply film having longitudinally positioned reinforcing threads only, a continuous length of final film in which there are both longitudinal and transverse reinforcing threads, that comprises helically winding a fiat band of the said supply film reinforced only by longitudinal threads so that the edges of the helical convolutions are juxtaposed, bonding the said edges to form a tubular web in which the threads will be helically positioned, slitting the resulting tubular web helically with the slitting taking place at right angles to the reinforcing threads at a spacing resulting in the forming of a continuous band of fiim of the same width as said supply film and in which the reinforcing threads lie at right angles to the length of the band, and bonding to the said transversely reinforced band a band of like Width of said continuous supply film reinforced only by longitudinal threads.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,317,426 Brennan Sept. 30, 1919 1,422,451 Krusemark July 11, 1922 1,535,647 Brennan Apr. 28, 1925 1,592,805 Berry July 13, 1926 1,601,092 Weigel Sept. 28, 1926 1,747,652 Seiberling Feb. 18, 1930 1,914,455 Pahl June 20, 1933 2,055,821 Hansen et a1. Sept. 29, 1936 2,131,0M Cordts Sept. 27, 1938 2,631,957 Francis Mar. 17, 1953 2,696,244 Jackson Dec. 7, 1954 2,714,571 Irion et a1. Aug. 2, 1955 2,803,576 Donaldson Aug. 20, 1957 2,841,202 Hirschy July 1, 1958 

1. THE PROCESS OF FORMING A CONTINUOUS LENGTH OF FILM IN WHICH THERE ARE BOTH LONGITUDINAL AND TRANSVERSE REINFORCING THREADS, THAT COMPRISES HELICALLY WINDING A FLAT BAND OF SUPPLY FILM REINFORCED BY LONGITUDINAL THREADS LYING IMBEDDED THEREIN PARALLEL TO THE LENGTH OF SAID SUPPLY FILM, SAID WINDING BEING ARRANGED SO THAT THE EDGES OF THE HELICAL CONVOLUTIONS ARE JUXTAPOSED, BONDING THE SAID EDGES TO FORM A TUBULAR WEB IN WHICH THE REINFORCING THREADS WILL BE HELICALLY POSITIONED, SLITTING THE RESULTING TUBULAR WEB HELICALLY WITH THE SLITTING TAKING PLACE AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE REINFORCING THREADS AT A SPACING RESULTING IN THE FORMING OF A CONTINUOUS BAND OF FILM OF THE SAME WIDTH AS SAID SUPPLY FILM AND IN WHICH THE REINFORCING THREADS WILL LIE AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE LENGTH OF THE BAND, AND BONDING TO THE SAID TRANSVERSELY REINFORCED BAND A SECOND SUPPLY BAND OF SUCH AS WAS USED IN FORMING SAID TRANSVERSELY REINFORCED BAND. 